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Mayo News football podcast – Galway preview

It’s all been a bit quiet from me here on the site over the past few days but, in my defence, I’ve been on the road more or less constantly of late. The Dubs and their ‘road trip’ the other evening are only trotting after me – I’ve been beyond the M50 a few times since midweek and I’ve clocked up more distance too, around 1,200 km or so.

Part of that mileage was for the trip down to Galway last Wednesday evening to meet up with Rob Murphy to record the latest episode of the Mayo News football podcast. This edition previews next Sunday’s Connacht football semi-final against Galway and featuring on it are ex-Galway players Barry Cullinane and Diarmuid Blake, along with ex-Mayo player Anthony Finnerty, in whose gaff in the city we did the recording last week.

The podcast also includes a discussion Mike Finnerty had with Peter Forde, a man who has seen Mayo/Galway clashes from both sides of the fence, from his time as a player and manager and who, of course, now manages Breaffy.

The podcast is now available to listen to via iTunes and SoundCloud and you can also play it without leaving the site – just click below. Happy listening!

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23 thoughts on “Mayo News football podcast – Galway preview”

As far as I am concerned being quiet between matches is ok on the basis that no news is good news. Most of what one hears in these weeks between matches are rumours – of injuries, rows etc and we can do without those. Incidentally Tipp hurlers seem to be getting the worst of it since their Cork defeat, what’s going the rounds about them seems to be far worse than anything which ever went on about Mayo. For my own part I twisted the old story of a good summer in Tipp – the hay saved and Cork bet – to enquire whether it was true that not only were Cork not bet but that the hay crop had picked up a virulent virus and was about to be lost as well. My concern was not always well received.

I think Connolly should be banned for 12 weeks to show consistency with the decisions around rest of the country (comerford and mcgeeney). It appears to hinge on the referees report, and if the ref and linesman let him off with this one it’s hard to have much sympathy for refs up and down the country taking abuse every week. However it won’t affect dublins chances much this year either way. The ban would expire at midnight before the all Ireland semi final involving the Leinster champions. So he would only miss 3 games. Secondly, and more importantly – he’s been shit this season. Anonymous last weekend against Carlow, he didn’t play much league football and Chrissy mcKaigue dominated him in the all Ireland club semi for slaughtneil against Vincent’s. Is he past his best?

it will be very interesting to see if galway are actually improving, they are in division 1 next year but so we’re Roscommon last year and see how that worked out. For all Mayos faults, and there are many, they should have beaten the ” greatest team in history” in drawn and replayed games in 2016. I couldn’t see galway even competing with Dublin in either of those games last year. And in the discussion, they’re talking about how Mayo are looking to Andy Moran while forgetting that Armstrong and Meehan are no teenagers either and Meehan has had serious knee issues, and where are the replacements for these guys? The ” terrible twins” as they were called after one game years ago.

My Mayo tinted glasses off, Mayo ought to win this game and Connaught as well.

I’m bowled over by the arrogance of those Galway lads. If Kevin Walshe has similar thinking next Sunday will be no problem! Ya wouldn’t hear jacheens as disrespectful! Whatever about us taking galway for granted last year it seems the opposite is true this year.

If we can win midfield it will be a comfortable win. If not who knows.

Andy being the same age as Barry Cullinanne says more about Andy in fairness 🙂 and I don’t know any mayo supporter that gets excited about winning a challenge match fair play to you Willie Joe you fairly nipped that narrative in the bud ! Anthony Finnerty was hilarious on it absolutely brilliant listening!! well done to all !! the bit with Peter Ford did the heart good too 🙂 roll on Sunday don’t forget those flags at least 2 each and the loudest we’ve ever been Cmon Mayo!!

The arrogance thing is being totally exaggerated. Most Galway football folk totally acknowledge that Mayo have been at the cutting edge for the past 6 yrs with serious consistency. I think the arrogance thing is blown out of proportion to whip up a bit of banter or hot steam in the Mayo camp whichever way you look at it. We are very quiet and totally focused on our own game knowing the challenge that lies ahead and rest assured KW would not have the attitude portrayed in this discussion. Even when we were in our pomp apart from a few isolated cases am sure I found our fans celebrating with humility. Our hurling folk would be more in your face maybe but that is a different story maybe because of being the type of game it is.

I haven’t had a chance to listen to the podcast yet but I would totally reject the notion that there is any hint of over confidence or cockiness within Galway football people in general.
I’m involved in football myself at club level and haven’t encountered anything of the sort.
Not one person I have spoken to about the game has been bullish about Galway’s chances.
Most expect Mayo to win (as I do myself fwiw) while a few think we will sneak it.
Hardly cocky or over confident!
Most people do believe that we are improving though – however slowly that improvement may be.
I think it is accepted that Mayo are a level above us at the moment despite last years result, but we are closing the gap somewhat.

Also I see a comment above about the last time there was supposed over confidence in Galway being 2013 (when we were beaten out the gate in Pearse Stadium). We were knocked out of the championship the year before by Antrim for Gods sake and finished 5th in division 2 in 2013. Believe me there was no confidence at all never mind over confidence! Absolute rubbish.

Seems like some of ye are looking for an agenda that doesn’t exist bh.

Ah who cares if Galway fans are confident, they have every right to be optimistic. They got promoted to division 1 and got to the u-21 final. No matter how bad Mayo were going over the years or good Galway were, I was always of the thinking we had a chance to beat them. Isn’t that local rivalry?

I do think there is a perception out there that Mayo are on a downward spiral, of which there is no proof yet but say it long enough and you will be right. A Galway man at the weekend told me he has been saying it for 5 years that Mayo are finished 😉

Blake and Cullinane were just stirring it and looking for a reaction which they got from me and a few others I’d imagine.
Let’s hope we do the talking on the pitch and bring that intensity that we normally bring to the bigger games. If we do that and match their hunger we’ll be fine.
This talk of Michael Meehan back and we should be fearful is laughable. WJ fairly knocked the 2 boys back on this point. Again people forgot that Meehan played for a couple of years before he got injured and caused us very few problems, mainly down to tremendous marking from Higgins and co.

If you ask any Galway fan that knows the game, How will the game go on Sunday? everyone will tell you they would expect Mayo to win.. What we are hoping is a tight game and a really decent performance from our lads. This rubbish about over confidence and arrogance is just that.. rubbish. We understand that if Mayo play with the agression and ability that they have shown in the past then they will win.. If they dont and it becomes a shootout between both sets of forwards then i think it will be very close!

Looking forward to salthill. Hope Andy Moran and COC listen to the podcast.
I’m expecting a good game. Probably tight right up to final whistle. Galway lads s&c should be up another notch from last year, so no tailing off from them.
I think it will be a game when mayo will need to take their chances, as they won’t get too many. Expect blanket defence from the tribesmen.
We got turned over a lot on our half forward line in castlbar last year, so I’d expect more running of the shoulder and fast ball into the forwards.

I didn’t detect any arrogance from either of the 2 lads. Blake made a throwaway comment about Mayo fans going apeshi* after winning a challenge game. It was an exaggeration but in fairness Cullinane finished that point by praising our fans for our unwavering support of our team.

My own opinion is that the mood on the ground here in Galway is that of optimism. I think Galway will give us a lot of trouble. A team who sets up like Galway do will be hard to break down and we often struggle when faced into that scenario.

I am also confident that our lads will want to put last years result right.

Expect Mayo to bring it in the physicality stakes.. Galway are more equipped to match them than in the past but if the game turns into an arm wrestle I fancy our experience to tell.

If the Galway page on Hoganstand is any indicator, then our Herron Choker friends have absolutely no fear of and indeed little respect for our lads. Let’s hope we can give them something to think about on Sunday night.

Watched the Sligo game in the company of a member of the great three in a row team, certainly no arrogance veryvery complimentary to the Mayo team, hope we win easily with no injuries to either team up Mayo

Not sure why Mayo supporters on here and elsewhere are getting so irate at supposedly “cocky” Galway support. I listened to the podcast, it was very entertaining as always, i failed to hear where Blake and Cullinane were being cocky. Galway supporters like me know that we are outsiders for this one. Maybe even rank outsiders if Mayo can bring the physicality and intensity that they brought to the Dubs last Sept/Oct. If anything the total and complete dismissal of Mayo’s defeat to Galway last year in Castlebar as a bit of non issue in Mayo people’s minds is what is amusing me the most. Yes Mayo may have been undercooked, that wasn’t Galway’s problem. And yes, perhaps Mayo might have beaten Galway in an AI semi, sadly we’ll never know. But Kevin Walsh did outdo Rochford in the tactical stakes last year in Castlebar. And perhaps as a sign of what was to come later on in the Autumn for Mayo, a bad kickout led to a gift of an opposition score and Mayo really struggled to get the scores required at the far end of the pitch to sort out the problem.

Do Mayo Supporters want/need to hear Galway people constantly talk Mayo up I wonder?